Loving Laos and More

One of the difficulties in cooking Laotian food at home in Japan is that it is difficult to get the same herbs and vegetables as they are in Laos. Mint, coriander, and basil can be easily purchased at the supermarket, or they can be grown on the balcony. However, kaffir lime leaves (bai makruu) are not so easy to find. These days, they can be purchased online, but they are expensive! All you need is a little bit.

I once helped prepare Laotian cuisine at an event, and the person in charge of chopping the kaffir lime leaves was Egashira, author of "Love Laos." It was hard work to chop the thick leaves finely, but they had a wonderful scent. I'm sure they also had a great aromatic effect. On that day, they were used to make a steamed mok fish dish.

This spring, I discovered a rare seedling at a large plant retailer in my neighborhood. I decided to try growing it at home.

The kaffir lime leaves grew rapidly in the warm sunlight. I thought this was going to work, but one summer morning, when I stepped out onto the balcony, the kaffir lime leaves had magically vanished. All that was left behind was the bone-like stem of a grilled fish I had already eaten.

Who is the culprit?! For a moment, Laos retreated.